Latest Area News Headlines

WORTHINGTON – The Achievement Center sale is underway at the arena on the Nobles County Fairgrounds, and continues through June 6 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. All proceeds of the sale go directly to The Achievement Center, which helps disabled adults learn skills that they can use for jobs in the community and at TAC.

JACKSON - A New York Times bestselling author with a strong local following will be in Jackson County this week to meet with fans and conduct research for his next book.

William Kent Krueger, author of the bestselling Cork O’Connor mystery series, will make a public...

WORTHINGTON – The Worthington Regional Health Care Foundation has joined forces with the Worthington Area YMCA to match dollar for dollar pledges made to the 2014 Strong Kids Campaign, up to $70,000.

YMCA Executive Director Andy Johnson said he is extremely excited to have the opportunity to use the money to support Y programs, including the Jami Cummings Learn to Swim program. That particular type of program has been a dream of his since he started at the Worthington Y in 1999, and the matching funds from the health care foundation is step one toward giving the program an extra...

WORTHINGTON – Congratulations to the Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force! Thursday night during the annual Minnesota State Association of Narcotics Investigators Conference in Brainerd, the task force was presented the Outstanding Achievement award for their contributions to drug enforcement.

According to Nobles County Sheriff Kent Wilkening, the task force has made 621 arrests over a five-year period. One particular case, evolving from a single suspect interview, turned into a long-term coordinated investigation that led to a large-scale drug distribution network that netted 158...

WORTHINGTON — Students from Worthington High School (WHS) who are involved in the Nobles County Integration Collaborative are hosting a fundraiser to send care kits to families in Venezuela as part of the “Change Starts with You” project. They will have a Zumbathon fundraising event from 6 to 8 p.m. today in the St. Mary’s gymnasium, 1206 Eighth Ave.

The Zumbathon will be a festive event featuring glow sticks, face painting, neon colors and lots of dancing. The “Change Starts with You” goal is to provide 250 kits and ship them off by May 30.Donations of household items will be...

WORTHINGTON - U.S. Senate candidate Chris Dahlberg stopped in Worthington Wednesday evening with his mobile front porch to campaign. A two-term St. Louis County Commissioner and Iraq war veteran from Duluth, Dahlberg is vying for the Republican endorsement at the party’s May 30 convention in Rochester. He faces five other Republicans in the race.

The winner of the Republican primary will go on to face incumbent DFLer Al Franken in November.

WORTHINGTON – A Worthington man is in custody after allegedly robbing a victim at gunpoint in the early morning hours Sunday. According to the criminal complaint, Jose Manolo Arevalo Cortez, 32, faces charges of first- and second-degree aggravated robbery.

The complaint states Cortez asked the victim for a ride home from the Long Branch Saloon. The victim told police that he had talked to the man earlier in the evening, so he offered him the ride. When the man got in the van, the victim said the man put a gun in his side and told him to give him everything he had. The victim gave...

LUVERNE -- Just a week away from Memorial Day, Blue Mounds State Park has some bad news. There's E. coli bacteria in the water at Blue Mounds State Park, just north of Luverne.

Here is a posting from their website:

On May 12, 2014, the water system serving the office and main campground (excluding the picnic grounds, group camp and cart-in/tipi sites) tested positive for E. coli bacteria and is not safe for consumption. The water is safe for showering, but the Minnesota Department of Health recommends that infants and small children do not use the water for bathing if they...

SIOUX FALLS, SD -- Police say a drunk driver may be to blame for hitting a semi-truck and damaging a traffic signal in Sioux Falls, overnight.

Just after 1:00 a.m. Police say the driver of a BMW ran a flashing red light at Cliff Avenue and Benson Road. They also say the driver slammed into the passenger side of a semi-truck. The driver of the BMW was hurt but not critically and was arrested for DWI. Two other people were passengers in that car. One of the passengers received medical treatment, the other refused it.

MINNESOTA STATE NEWS -- Today, the Minnesota House passed a bonding bill that includes $846 million in bonds and an additional bill that includes $200 million in further investments in infrastructure projects. In the House bill, money has been set aside to help finance the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System that will provide desperately needed water to several communities in southwestern Minnesota.

The spending deal would pay Lewis and Clark $22 million in cash and allow local officials to sell bonds to fund the remaining $45 million of project costs. Local governments would...

WORTHINGTON -- Detective Sgt. Kevin Flynn has been appointed interim director of public safety for the Worthington Police Department. The department’s current chief, Mike Cumiskey announced his retirement Monday. On Tuesday, the civil services commission gave the go-ahead for City Administrator Craig Clark to appoint Flynn to the interim position. Flynn, who has been with the Worthington Police Department for 23 years, will begin his new duties at 5:00pm on Friday.

Flynn began as a patrol officer for the department in 1991. He was then promoted to detective in March 1996 and...